1. The Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to matching algorithms for event notification. More specifically, the present invention relates to methods and systems for a computer system to use event matching tables and other matching techniques.
2. The Relevant Technology
The popularity of the Internet has profoundly improved the way people communicate by allowing users quick and easy access to information. By accessing the World Wide Web, using, for example, electronic mail and instant messaging, through computers and other devices, people now stay in touch with each other around the globe, and can access information on a virtually limitless variety of subjects.
In addition to facilitating communication between individuals, the Internet allows individuals (or devices) to be notified when an event of interest occurs. Event notification via the internet is often referred to as “alerts.” A remote computer system will typically monitor for the event and automatically send a notification message to the user when the event occurs. This allows users to be aware of numerous important events that the user would not otherwise be aware of Traditional methods of notifying a user were developed using the Transmission Control Protocol (“TCP”), a well-known protocol already in use on the Internet.
Services are now able to deliver event notifications to a user via email, instant messaging, text messaging, handheld devices, among other delivery mechanisms. As consumers grow to expect a continual flow of information updates, the ability to efficiently supply the information becomes of increasing importance. The advent of event notification has allowed individual Internet users to customize the type of information they receive. Now, it is not uncommon for a subscriber to request customized information regarding stock quotes, weather reports, news items, sports scores, and other types of information, all in the form of event notifications. Furthermore, the subscriber can often specify to be notified of specific stock quotes, stock price movements (e.g., up 2%, or stock price=$19/share), specific sports teams, weather for a specific area, news items about a specific current event, and the like.
This increase in event notification popularity and functionality has also been accompanied by growing pains. Because of the complexity and volume of individual subscribers' notification requests in combination with the innumerable types of events that may occur, the ability to respond to all requests becomes computationally taxing.
One common method of responding to subscribers' requests includes comparing each new event to every request of every subscriber. When a match is found between an event and a subscriber, an event notification is sent to the subscriber via a designated delivery mechanism. Although this technique is fairly simple, it is very inefficient. Given that millions of “events” may occur each day, combined with potentially millions of unique subscriber notification requests, comparing all events to all unique subscriber notification requests can be a drain on computational resources.
It is important, with the ever increasing number of users sending data across the Internet, that event notification on the Internet is done as efficiently as possible. Accordingly, methods and systems are desired for streamlining the process of matching subscribers' notification requests to associated incoming events, which reduce computer processing time.
The subject matter claimed herein is not limited to embodiments that solve any disadvantages or that operate only in environments such as those described above. Rather, this background is only provided to illustrate one exemplary technology area where some embodiments described herein may be practiced.